File-drawer compressor



. NOV- 5, 1929- F.-B. I .l-NBERGERV f 1,734,171 l FILE DRAWER COMPRESSOR Filed Nov. 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 luomglof r Fred l. Lneber @L y Nov. 5, 1929. F. B. LINE-BERGER FILE DRAWER COMPRESSOR Filed Nov. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l lnueuim' Fred B. Lueber w Patented Nov. 5, 1929 FRED E. LINERERGER, OF GRAND RAPIDs, MICHIGAN, AssIeNoR To METAL OFFICE FURNITURE COMPANY, oF GRAND RAPIDs, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION voF MICH- IGAN FILE-DRAWER COMPRESSOR Application med November as, 1927. serial No. 236,143.

This invention relates to a compressor or follower used in a filing drawer. Drawers in which material is filed are usually equipped with so-called follower means for the purpose of maintaining the material filed in a compact condition, thereby obviating such material buckling downward and becoming wrinkled and bent and hard of access when it is to be examined. The follower or `compressor is mounted within the filing drawer for movement longitudinally back and forth therein so that it may maintain the filed material in upright compact form*` whether a greater or less amount of such material'is received within the drawers.

It is an object and purpose ofthe present invention to provide a novel form of mounting for followers of the character outlined, of simple and practical structure, and equip the same with means for releasably securing the follower in any position to which it is moved lengthwise of the drawer. Various other objects and purposes, together with novel construction for attaining the same will appear fully and in detail as an understanding of the invention is had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a tiling drawer equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical section substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow and illustrating the follower in locked position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but with the follower unlocked for movement lengthwise of the drawer, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section and plan view, the section being takensubstantially in the plane of line 1 -t of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The filing drawer is vof sheet metal preferably, though the invention is applicable to drawers made of other material quite as well, and includes la bottom l, vertical vsides 2 turned upwardly at the edges of saidbottom,

a front end 3 of conventional construction and a rear end t. Thevsides 2 a short dis-v tance below their upper edges are formed with outwardly pressed portions 5 whereby 6 turned inwardly at its lower edge and then" rebent as indicated at 7 thereby'forming aV channel portion at the lower part of the guide.

con'

One of these guides is located in each groove at the upper portion thereof, the upper edges of the vertical legs 6 coming against the upper flanges of the groove portions 5. bar 8 is slidably mounted in each guide, its

lower edge being received in the channel sec- 'tion thereof while its upper edge is in engagement with the under side of the upper flange of the groove 5, as shown.

The follower or compr-essor is made of sheet metal and comprises a plate 9 provided be` tween its upper and lower edges with rearwardly pressed channel 10 which extends horizontally across the plate lying in .substantially the same horizontal Vplane with the slide bars 8. Angle bars 1l are permanently secured to the front side of the channel web 10 by spot-welding or other-l equivalent securing means, the outer ends of the angle bars being bent at right angles to eX- tend forward and lie against the inner sides of the slides 8 to which they are 'permanently secured by welding or other equivalent fastening. It is evident that the follower is thus slidably mounted for movement lengthwise of the filing drawer,'the slides 8 normally having free sliding movement in the guides and channel sections thereof in which they are located. The upper edge of the follower longitudinal slot 16 through which a headed pin 17"' passes,,saidr pins being` permanently secured to and extending rearwardly from" the channel web 10. An operating plate 1S of flat metal overlaps the adjacentends'of the locking bars with thepin ..14 passing therethrough. The upper end of the plate 18' passesrupwardly througha slot. inthe up ver edge` portionl2.. of the follower plate an is thencurvedto the rear as indicatedatv 19 to provide a finger hold.. On pulling upward on. the. fingerhold 19y the pin k14v traverses slot 13 and turnsthe'lockingbars 15. about,

the axes of thepins 17.whereupon thel outer endsofi the=bars15l are moved to the. position slown inV Fig.;` lfoutlof engagement with. the rehentloweredges. 7 ofthev guides for-the. bars But on pressing downward against the ate 18v thebars are moved upper: endof the l own. in Fi' ,L 2 and their to the. position.4

outer ends. broughty against t e .rebent por- .tions of the guides, pressing. the` same, outwardly andx VAmaking a. secure frictional engagement betweensaid rebent portions 7 and the sliding bars Swhich hold saidy bars against slid-ing` movement..

It is evident that the followeiywvhen the lockingbars-are' in thepositionK shown in Fig.V

3, may freely move .with thesliding: movement of the bars 8 in-the guides provided therefor ;v and. that-by .merely pressing. downwardl on the upper plate 18 the follower is locked inany position to; which4 it has been adjusted. The constructionY is very simple,but is very practieal,..durable and effective for. the purposes.

for which it is designed.l Various modificationsin minor'details of structure may be resorted toy withoutl departing. from the' invention. defined in the claims appended hereto, andy my inventionr is to be consideredy comprehensive of all forms ofV construction coming, withinthe scope-offsaid. claims` claim:v l... In' combinationv with a' drawer having a bottom and spaced apart vertical sides horizontal-guides attheinner sides'of said sides f* ofthe drawer, slides mounted. in. saidA guildes.k afollowermember, connect1ons between said' follower member andf'slides, and manually operable means mounted on said follower f member movable into-.and out of engagement mwith" said guides to clamp the Same against said slides and lock the follower member inV any position to which adjusted or to release said follower member for movement to different positions..

2. In a construction of the class described, a filing drawer having a bottom and vertical spaced apart sides, longitudinal guides attached one to the inner'` side of each side of the drawer, each at its lower edge portion being U-shaped in cross section, a slide bar mounted in each guide, a follower member located within and transversely of said drawer, a means permanently connected to said follower member at each of itsopposite vertical... edge. portions and to. said. slide Ybars,land-.manually operable means mounted on thefllower member movable in one position to bear against the inner lower U-shaped portions of said guides Vto clamp. the inner legs thereof against said slide bars, said manually operable means being. operablefto anotherposition out of engagementwith-said guides;v

3. In al construction of theclassdes'cribedtf aliling drawer having abottom and? vertical. sides, channel like guidesattached One at theinn er-sideof each side of 'the drawer, therlow' er flanges of saidg-uides-being.rebent' whereby each guide at its lower portion isUshfapejd-ini.l

cross*V section, a slidebari mounted for free' slidmgmovement in; each guide,` a follower member located within and transyersely' off the drawer, means permanentlyly connectingM lsaid follower member to said slide. bars, two divergingv locking; bars pivotallyA and salida-bly mounted on the follower member at: points lbe-. tween the/,ends thereof, the-inner ends of said barsbeing; pivotally connected together, and

an operating member connected with. said.` locking bars attheir point-'s of pivotal connection extending vertically and; manually oper.- able to turn said lockmg bars about their' points of pivotal andslidable connectiony to?. thefollower memberinr one positionl bringing the outer ends thereof against the inner legs of said Uf-shaped lower portions of the'guidest to clamp the-same againstwthe slide bars, and:-

in another positionbe'ing.l out of engagementl lower member, a guide on-.the drawer having a channel portionga` slide fiXedto said follower and slidable insaid channel portion of'said guide, and manually operable means ,mountf ed on the follwer fork pinching the channel portion ofthe guide against'thefslide .torholtl the slide andfollower immovable.-

6. In combination witha.y drawerl having Vertical sides, a follower, guides fixed to the respective sides of the drawer each having a channel portion, slides fixed to said follower and slidahly mounted in said channel portions thereof of said guides, and manually operable clamping members mounted on said follower and adapted to engage the channel portions of the guides and to pinch them against the sldes to hold the slides and follower immova le.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRED B. LINEBERGER. 

